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Mediterranean Orzo Salad

16 Nov

I could eat bowl after bowl after bowl of this orzo salad. It’s got a salty yet creamy flavor, a nice balance of texture: crunchy, slippery, chewy, crumbled, and a beautiful color scheme.

You know those specialty markets that sell prepared “gourmet food?” Yeah, any little market or deli like Whole Foods (or the Bay Area’s Pasta Shop, Market Hall, Mill Valley Market)…Most of these markets sell some version of an orzo salad, and I will almost always buy some; I simply can’t resist!

What is orzo anyway? Orzo literally translates to “barley” in Italian. It looks like rice but is actually a pasta made of hard wheat semolina.

I love to make salads and throw practically anything and everything I possibly can into them. This orzo salad is indeed very versatile, throw in what you have on-hand in the fridge or pantry! Experiment and get creative!

Mediterranean Orzo Salad
adapted from me eating this salad at any and every specialty market

Ingredients:
  • 8 oz dry orzo
  • handful garbanzo beans
  • handful sun-dried tomatoes
  • handful chopped olives
  • handful chopped artichoke hearts
  • handful fresh spinach
  • handful cherry tomatoes (if in season)
  • handful fresh basil, either whole or cut into a chiffonade
  • handful feta cheese (omit if you want this salad to be vegan)
  • handful chopped or slivered almonds
Directions:

1. Boil water. Once it starts to boil, salt it. Salt it like an ocean. Pour in the orzo and cook until it is done. Drain. (Optional: reserve some of the pasta water in case you want to add it back later if the orzo sticks together).
2. Combine orzo, and rest of the ingredients. Stir it all up and eat! Simple as that.

Hearty Grain Soup With Beans and Greens

18 Sep


This is my all-time favorite soup to make. It takes very little time and is so healthy and wholesome. It is a great winter soup that will warm your heart on a chilly day. Even in 80 degree weather, this soup proves to be a winner with its mixture of color and fresh flavor combination!

You can use any grain that you have on-hand: barley, brown rice, quinoa, kasha…Same goes for the beans–I prefer kidney beans but you can use a mixture of kidney, black, garbanzo, white beans…

I have made this soup at least 6-10 times and it never disappoints. One time, I accidentally used 3 times the amount of rice and rather than cry/freak out/kick and scream (which I did a bit of at first), I transformed the soup into risotto! Brilliant, just brilliant! Continue reading →

Cornbread fit for 60!

11 Sep


Where’s the peeler? You mean I have to soak the beans overnight? How much liquid do I use for the rice? These questions cross my mind every week as I prepare to cook dinner for sixty hungry college students living in my co-op.

As head cook, I start preparing dinner with one other person in the afternoon to have the meal ready by 7 p.m. I want to cater to everyone’s likes, dislikes, and needs—to vegetarians, vegans, meat-lovers, gluten-free eaters, and picky eaters. Seasonal produce, bread, meat, and dairy products regularly get delivered to the house, and the kitchen is already stocked with the basics—spices, grains, dry beans, oils and vinegars…

Cornbread. Always a crowd-pleaser. So moist and comforting—I feel guilty with glee, it is like eating cake with dinner!


Golden yellow in the center and perfectly browned on the edges, this cornbread really is the best ever! And you know why it is the best ever? Because it calls for the butter to be browned! Yes, browning the butter is the secret! It was also the secret in these blueberry muffins!


The key to browning your butter is to melt it on the stove over medium heat and to turn it off as soon as it stops “singing” (aka sizzling/cracking/popping/making noise…you get the picture). You can see the butter go from yellow to a nice brown color, and the smell is so sinfully delicious and nutty!


This is just a basic recipe for cornbread. If you are feelin’ a little cra’ cra’ (aka crazy!!) you can add in some cheese, fresh corn kernels, jalapeños, chives…


This recipe is so moist and all the flavors come together so nicely that I found no need to add any extra butter, honey, sour cream… on top. But if you feel so inclined, please go right ahead!

Best Cornbread Ever
Adapted from herbivoracious.com
Serves 60! (divide recipe by 6 and use an 8×8 in. pan to get the original proportions)

* 6 sticks unsalted butter
* 12 eggs
* 6 cups buttermilk (I used 3 cups nonfat milk + 3 cups 2% milk and 6 T. white vinegar)
* 6 cups cornmeal
* 6 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 cups sugar
* 6 teaspoons salt (aka 2 Tablespoons)
* 3 teaspoons baking soda

1. Preheat the oven to 375 °F and butter two large rectangular pans.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking about 10 minutes or more until it is turning a light brown and has a delicious, nutty aroma. Do not skim, keep all those browned milk solids (that is where most of the flavor is concentrated!).
3. Whisk together the eggs and buttermilk. Drizzle in the butter, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the eggs.
4. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
5. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir just enough to form a batter. It is ok if there are a few lumps. Avoid over-beating as this could make the cornbread tough (tough cornbread=yuck).
6. Pour into the pan and bake about 25 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.
7. Serve while still hot. Get it while you can because in a house full of hungry 20-something year olds, it will all be gone in a matter of minutes!

>Jews, Schmooz, Barbecues

27 Aug

>
Ahh, the start of a fresh school year…

The sun is shining, people are happy…there are new beginnings aplenty!

Fraternities and sororities are bustling and bursting out in rush-songs and secret handshakes. Incoming college freshmen are scurrying around campus trying to find the correct building. The co-ops are still semi-clean. Actually, nevermind. I take that back.

Clubs and organizations parade you with fliers and free food, trying to get you to sign up for this and that.

Berkeley Hillel, a Jewish center for student life, is all about giving free food to hungry college students and encouraging social interaction…

Every Wednesday, a handful of students join together to prepare a massive barbecue at Berkeley Hillel. We make a rockin’ guacamole and salsa, a leafy green salad, a colorful pasta dish, barbecued chicken and hot dogs with accompanying bread buns (we always do a vegetarian option, too!), French fries, and a dessert!


Cooking for a crowd is a whole lot different than cooking for four. We usually barbecue enough for about 300-500 people!

I used to be a sucker for following a recipe step-by-step and taking my time to slowly and thoughtfully put a meal together. Now I have learned how to use a recipe only as a guide and how to cook mostly by feel, leaving lots of room to experiment and get creative in the kitchen!

While I sometimes miss cooking for four, when cooking for a crowd there are many more compliments, which always make me feel good after a long afternoon of chopping, roasting, baking, and sautéing!

When cooking for a large crowd, it is a luxury to be able to get a case of avocados. Avocados are a miracle fruit. They can fit into many different cuisines—Japanese sushi, Mexican guacamole, American sandwich filling…Recently, avocados are used as a thickener and base to hold everything together in baked goods, and also makes for a creamy ice cream flavor! Although I have yet to try this, avocados are also great for make-at-home face masks and beauty regimes. They are great for the skin and have a lot of “healthy” fats and vitamins.

I make guacamole by feel. Sometimes I like to have the chunks of avocado bits and other times I like to mash the avocados for a smoother feel.

Rockin’ Guacamole
Serves 2-4

Ingredients:
2 avocados
¼ red onion, finely minced
lemon or lime juice (about 1-2 Tablespoons)
salt and pepper

optional add-ins:
1-2 tomatoes, diced
jalapeño, finely minced
cilantro
fresh corn
diced mango

1. Slice the avocados in half. Scoop out the pit or lightly bang with a sharp knife and twist it out. See here for a more thorough explanation for how to cut and peel an avocado. **Reserve the pits (see step 7)
2. Score the avocados into a criss cross pattern and scoop out the cubes with a spoon. Alternatively, you do not have to score the flesh and can just scoop it out with a spoon and mash with a fork or potato masher.
3. Finely mince the onion and combine with the avocado.
4. Add in the lemon/lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
5. Add in diced tomato, jalapeño, and cilantro to garnish.
6. For a fun twist, add in fresh corn or diced mango!!
7. If you are not eating the guac right away, place the pits in the guac to prevent browning (I do not know if this really works, but I do it anyway!! It looks pretty, too!).
8. Serve with chips, veggie crudités, corn tortillas, or use as a sandwich spread!

One tip I learned while working at Spago Restaurant is how to correctly boil pasta. When you boil the water, throw in enough salt for it to taste like an ocean! Really, a LOT of salt. When you add the pasta to the water, the salt gets incorporated into the dough and then you do not have to add so much extra salt to your sauce.

Do a taste test. Taste some plain pasta that has been cooked in heavily salted water and then try some that was cooked in only water. Wow. The flavor of the salt really pops out and makes such a big difference! Thank you Spago chefs!

Another tip is to reserve some of the pasta water before you drain the pasta to incorporate into a sauce.


Pasta salad with summer vegetables
You can adapt proportions according to how many people are eating!

Dry pasta (I like to an assortment of fun shapes!)

Fresh seasonal produce (I used cherry tomatoes which I left whole, fresh corn, zucchini and yellow crookneck summer squash, red bell peppers, garlic, and onions!)

A few splashes of Balsamic vinegar and good quality extra virgin olive oil

Fresh herbs such as basil or parsley

Optional: cheese (feta, Parmesan, mozzarella…_)

1. Cook the pasta in boiling SALTED water.
2. Drain (reserve some of the pasta water in case you want to add some back).
3. Chop the veggies into shapes of your choice—circular slices, thin strips, small chunks…
4. Sauté the onions first for a few minutes. Then add the rest of the veggies and stir until cooked. Add some salt.
5. Combine the sautéed veggies and pasta.
6. Add a splash of the balsamic vinegar and olive oil and stir. If the mixture seems dry, add some of the reserved pasta water (although most likely the vegetables will add enough moisture).
7. Stir in cheese. Garnish with fresh herbs.


After making the Silver Palate cookbook recipe for homemade barbecue sauce, it is hard to eat the store bought stuff. This is a really fresh tasting sauce that you can add or substitute ingredients according to your own taste buds.

I often make it and then toss it with some chicken to either pop in the oven or throw on the grill! It is always a hit, tastes better than the store bought sauce, and is super easy to prepare!


Homemade Barbecue Sauce!
Adapted from the Silver Palate cookbook
Makes about 3 cups

Ingredients:
2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
Juice from 1 lemon
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons Tabasco sauce (I used a drop of Asian red chili sauce)
2 Tablespoons unsulfured molasses
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons finely minced garlic (I used a few cloves of roasted garlic…mmm!)
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan.
2. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, to heat through and to blend the flavors, 10-12 minutes. Do not boil.
3. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 2 weeks.

Extreme Granola

8 Jul

I told myself, “I will just have a little taste.”

20 minutes later, I am still snacking on the ultimate, sweet but not too sweet, crunchy and clustery, nutty and fruity, breakfast, dessert, and snack-worthy homemade granola.

Warning: this wholesome granola recipe is dangerously addicting. I think I reached for at least four more handfuls on that same day.

There is something so utterly comforting about granola, and cereal in general. I can eat it for my main meal with a splash of milk or yogurt, I can eat it straight from the box, I can pack it up and eat it on the go, or I can put a little (or a lot) on top of ice cream. Granola can be added to muffin batter to give it that extra crunch, or used in a French toast recipe. You can also use it as a topping for a light fruit crisp.

Today I blended a frozen banana, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, and a ½ cup of nonfat milk and swirled in some granola for a finishing touch! This was a real energy-boosting treat!

It is so easy to go to the supermarket and buy granola, but making it yourself is easy and you can use all of your favorite add-ins. My personal favorites are walnuts, dates, and dried figs.

Extreme Granola
Adapted from epicurious.com

Yield: makes about 7 cups

Ingredients

1 ¼ cups of nuts of your choice (I like to use walnuts, almonds, pecans, and/or cashews)

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

¼ cup of seeds, sesame or sunflower

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter

1/3 cup of pure maple syrup or honey (I like to use both!)

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ¼ cup dried fruit mixture of your choice (I use raisins, cranberries, figs, apricots, dates)

a little handful of shredded coconut (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large shallow baking sheet with foil.
2. Spread the nuts on the sheet and roast for 8-10 minutes, until lightly toasted. Transfer the nuts to a board, let them cool, and chop (I usually just break them apart with my fingers).
3. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
4. Pour the oats and seeds in a mound on the same baking sheet. Melt the butter and stir in the maple syrup/honey mixture and salt. Drizzle this on top of the oats. Stir well with a rubber spatula (aka a schmoosher!) and spread the oats out in an even layer.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes until the oats are lightly colored, stirring once with the spatula halfway through. Toss in the coconut for the last 5-10 minutes of baking.
6. Let cool; the mixture will crisp as it cools. Add the dried fruit, and reserved nuts and toss.
7. EAT and share a little, too!

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